Batting

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL – Flagler College scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to rally for a 3-2 win over Francis Marion University on Friday evening (May 10), in the first game of pool play at the 2019 Peach Belt Conference Baseball Tournament.

The seventh-seeded Patriots (27-20) conclude pool play on Saturday (May 11) as they face six-seeded Columbus State University at 1:30 p.m., and third-seeded USC Aiken at 8:30 p.m.

Junior first baseman Nick Pappas and senior third baseman Fred Wadsworth had two hits apiece for Francis Marion. Wadsworth drove in one FMU run and scored the other.

Senior center fielder Dillon Reed and freshman second baseman Elliott Schubert combined to drive in all three runs for second-seeded Flagler (30-21). Senior left-handed starting pitcher Robert Girgis (9-0) went the distance for the Saints, giving up eight hits and striking out nine.

With FMU in front 2-1, Flagler started the bottom of the ninth inning with back-to-back singles. After a sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk, the Saints had the bases loaded with one out for Schubert, who was hit by a 1-2 pitch to tie the game. One out later, Reed knocked a single to left to give Flagler the 3-2 come-from-behind walk-off victory.

Starting pitching dominated early, as the two teams remained scoreless until the fifth. Patriots' senior shortstop CJ Mackinson started the frame with a single, then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior second baseman Patrick Jackson. Wadsworth then gave FMU the lead with an RBI double to left. Freshman left fielder Will Hardee followed with a single, and a Flagler error on the play allowed Wadsworth to come home and make it 2-0.

Flagler got a run back in the bottom of the fifth, but Patriots' junior left-hander Josh Bobrowski stranded the tying run at third base with back-to-back strikeouts.

A walk and an error put two in scoring position with two outs in the sixth for Francis Marion, but Girgis turned them away.

Bobrowski left the potential tying run in scoring position again in the seventh, and junior righty Ethan Meece was able to strand a runner at third in the eighth courtesy of a terrific tumbling catch in deep left-center field by senior center fielder Gage Taylor.

Bobrowski tossed seven strong innings for FMU, yielding one run on just four hits, while racking up eight strikeouts in a no-decision.

Francis Marion junior right-hander Austin Moody (1-1) took the loss in relief, allowing two runs in the ninth.